Michael Stefanek is the Minister of Music at Brown Memorial Park Avenue Presbyterian Church in Baltimore, MD. From 2016 to 2024 Michael served as Director of Music Ministries at Asbury United Methodist Church in Salisbury, MD. In addition, Michael served as Dean of the Salisbury Chapter of the American Guild of Organists and was an advisory board member of the Salisbury Symphony Orchestra. He continues to be on the board for the Salisbury Children’s Choir. Michael also was a collaborative pianist with the Wicomico High School choir and served on a committee for a Sister Cities event that celebrated the 800th Anniversary of Salisbury Cathedral in England.
As a concert organist Michael has performed throughout the United States. Michael has been featured as an artist on “Delmarva in Performance” on WSCL 89.5 Delmarva Public Radio. In addition to the organ Michael has a love for choral music, which began at the age of 6 when he commenced singing in the Green Bay Boy Choir. He went on to sing in his high school choir, Oberlin College Musical Union, University of Michigan Choir, and the University of Michigan Early Music Ensemble. In 2018 Michael conducted the Ascension Oratorio of J. S. Bach at Asbury United Methodist Church in Salisbury, MD. In February of 2020 right before the pandemic hit Asbury’s choir joined forces with St. Alban’s Episcopal Church choir and the American Spiritual Ensemble for a concert featuring Duruflé’s Requiem.
Michael’s warm personality and outstanding talent has helped him to earn numerous awards, scholarships, and fellowships throughout his academic life. In the spring of 2001 he won second prize at the chapter level of the American Guild of Organists Regional Competition for Young Organists held in Cleveland, OH. In 2010 he was awarded a Rackham Graduate Student Research Grant that funded a chamber orchestra for Handel’s Concerto Op.4, No.4, which was performed on his second dissertation recital in Ann Arbor, MI.
Originally from Green Bay, WI Michael earned his Doctor of Musical Arts and Master of Music degrees in organ performance at the University of Michigan where he studied with James Kibbie and received additional coaching from Marilyn Mason. He received his Bachelor of Music degree in organ performance from Oberlin College Conservatory of Music where he studied with David Boe. While at Oberlin he also studied harpsichord with Lisa Goode Crawford. Michael began his organ studies in high school with Ruth Tweeten and had the unique opportunity to receive lessons at the Lutheran Summer Music Program in 1996 and 1997 with Martin Jean, Director of the Yale Institute of Sacred Music. Prior to pursuing organ, Michael was an accomplished pianist having studied with Bishop Michael Bent of Appleton, WI.
Michael Stefanek Concert Organist & Collaborative Musician 